The present invention relates to generation management systems and methods for managing the generation of resources such as computer program, forms, and various format definitions.
Software is continuously subjected to revision for improved versions, and numerous new version software are created as a result. In the software development, there is a need for saving software under development, in addition to the software currently used. Thus, there is a need of version management for at least two versions of software, one for the software under development and the other for the software currently in use.
Conventionally, the development of software has been achieved by means of a host computer that manages entire software integrally. Thus, an operator accesses to the host computer by way of the TSS (time sharing system) function when conducting software development. In such a case, management of software generation is achieved relatively easily.
On the other hand, in the distributed environment of software development in which software resources managed integrally in the host computer, are exported or copied to respective workstations or terminals for edition, there is a tendency that discrepancy increases between the software versions created by the terminals as a result of the software development and the software version held in the host computer. Thus, there occurs an increase in the amount of information needed for version management, and there arises a difficulty in conducting the effective version management.
Under such a situation, there exists a demand for an integrated generation management system or method that is suitable for managing various software. Particularly, there is a demand for a generation management system or method suitable for software development under distributed environment.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional system for software management.
Referring to FIG. 1, the system includes a host computer 200 and a resource-generation manager 201 for managing the generation of the software that is managed by the host computer 200. In the resource-generation manager 201, there is provided a generation management data set 201 formed of original-generation software 202 serving for the basis of generation management, as well as history information 203 used for the generation management. Generally, the newest version software or the oldest version software is employed for the original-generation software 202. Further, the history information 203 indicates the location of the software in which the modification has been made to the original-generation software 202. Further, the system includes a storage device 210 for storing the software managed by the host computer.
Further, the system of FIG. 1 includes a workstation 220 connected to the host computer 200 via a network 225, wherein the workstation 220 is used for running as well as for developing software resources held in the host computer 200. It should be noted that the work station 220 includes an editor program 221 for importing or copying the software from the host computer 299 and for editing the software thus copied.
Next, a conventional generation management will be described with reference to FIGS. 2A-2C, wherein FIGS. 2A-2C show the case in which the modified software is not renumbered with respect to the lines.
Referring to the drawings, FIG. 2A shows a Level-1 state 230 corresponding to the state of the software before any edition is made. In other words, the numeral 230 indicates the pre-edit software as copied from the host computer 200. FIG. 2B, on the other hand, shows a Level-2 state 231 of the software after an edition is applied. In other words, the reference numeral 231 indicates the post-edit software. In the example of FIG. 2B, the description at line #300 is changed and lines #310 and #510 are inserted as a result of the edition.
Further, FIG. 2C shows history information 232, wherein the history information 232 indicates the history of the edited software 231. In the history information 232, it should be noted that the deletion of a line is designated by D while the insertion of a line is designated by I.
In operation, the workstation 220 of FIG. 1 copies the generation management data set 201' from the host computer 200, and the workstation 220 holds therein the pre-edit software 230 as a result. The pre-edit software 230 is subjected to an edition by the editor 221. For example, the description at the line #300 is changed as indicated and a description is inserted at the lines #310 and #510. As a result, the post-edit software 231 is created.
The workstation 220 then transfers the post-edit software 231 thus created to the host computer 200, wherein the resource-generation manager 201 of the host computer 200 compares the post-edit software 231 and the pre-edit software 230 and creates the history information 232. The history information 232 thus created updates the old history information. Thus, record is made in the history information 232 about the deletion of the line #300 as well as about the insertion of the new, modified description at the line #300. In addition, record is made about the insertion of description at the lines #310 and #510.
FIG. 3 shows another operational mode of the system of FIG. 1 for using the pre-edit software in which the lines are renumbered.
Referring to FIG. 3, the system forms a part of the system of FIG. 1 and includes the storage device 210 cooperating with the host computer 200 for storing pre-edit software as the software resources. Similarly as before, the storage device 210 stores therein the generation management data set 201', the original-generation software 201, and the history information 203. Further, the workstation 220 includes the editor 221.
It should be noted that the workstation 220, connected to the storage device 210 of the host computer 200 via the network 225 not shown in FIG. 3, is equipped with a memory 250, wherein the memory 250 provides a user space for storing the software resources in the process of editing.
Hereinafter, conventional process of renumbering will be described step by step.
STEP (1)
The generation management data set 201' held in the storage device 210 is copied to the workstation. The data set 201' thus copied is subsequently expanded in a user space of the workstation provided by the memory 250.
STEP (2)
Edition is made in the user space of the workstation by using the editor 221.
STEP (3)
Instruction is provided for renumbering the software thus edited.
STEP (4)
Instruction is made from the workstation to the host computer for saving the renumbered software.
STEP (5)
Instruction is made from an operator via the editor 221 to end the process of edition.
STEP (6)
Transfer of the post-edit software is made to the host computer after renumbering, to effect the termination of the process of edition. Thereafter, the history information is created in the host computer 200 based upon the software of the newly created version (post-edit software 231) and the original-generation software (pre-edit software 230). Further, the generation management data set 201' is updated based upon the result of comparison.
FIG. 4 shows another conventional software resource management wherein the renumbering is made after insertion of a line.
Referring to FIG. 4, there is provided a generation management data set 260 held in a storage device of a host computer, wherein the data set 260 includes original-generation software 261 and generation information 262. Further, there exits pre-edit software 265 cooperating with a workstation, wherein the pre-edit software 265 is the software of the Level-1 state copied to the workstation.
FIG. 4 further shows a user space 266 provided in the memory of the work station. It should be noted that the user space 266 shows the pre-edit software in the state of editing. Further, there is shown post-edit software 267 that corresponds to the software created by renumbering the pre-edit software 265. Further, there is shown history information 268 that is created by the host computer based upon the post-edit software 267.
In operation, the host computer creates the pre-edit software 265 based upon the generation management data set 260 for the pre-edit software, and the pre-edit software 265 is copied to the workstation.
In the workstation, edition is made to the pre-edit software 265 of the Level-1 state as indicated in FIG. 4, wherein FIG. 4 shows an example of inserting a description at the line #310 during the process of the edition conducted in the user space 266.
After the edition in the user space 266, the software thus edited is subjected to a renumbering process, and post-edit software 267 is created as a result, such that the post-edit software 267 have new line numbers. In the illustrated example, the line #310 before renumbering is now changed to the line #400. Associated with the foregoing change, the line numbers following the line #400 are all changed as indicated in FIG. 4. The post-edit software 267 thus created is then transferred to the host computer and history information 268 is created. Further, the history information 268 thus created updates the old history information. Similarly as before, the deletion of a line is designated by "D" and the insertion of a line is designated by "I." Thus, the old line #400 is deleted and a new description is inserted as the line #400 in the history information 268. Similarly, the old line #500 is deleted and a new description is inserted as the line #500. In other words, all of the lines #400-#600 are recorded in the history information 268 as the line experienced a change, while the change of the lines #400-#600 is merely a change of the line number and not material to the content.
FIGS. 5A-5C show still other conventional resource management including the process of inserting a blank to the description of a line.
Referring to FIG. 5A showing pre-edit software 280 corresponding to the Level-1 state, it will be noted that the lines include a blank space represented by a symbol "*." As a result of edition in the workstation, two additional blank spaces are added to the description of the line #1400 in the illustrated example of FIG. 5B that shows post-edit software 281. Further, it will be noted that history information 282 is created in the host computer based upon the comparison between the pre-edit software 280 and the post-edit software 281 as indicated in FIG. 5C.
As will be noted from FIG. 5C, the history information 282 includes a record for deletion of a line before insertion of the blank spaces as well as a record for insertion of a line in which blank spaces are added. For example, the history information 282 includes a record "D" for the old line #1400 and a record "I" for the new line #1400 in which two additional blanks are added.
Summarizing the above, conventional generation management of software resources includes the processes of comparing the pre-edit software and post-edit software in terms of the lines and creating historical information based upon the discrepancy detected as a result of the comparison. Thus, such a conventional generation management has a drawback in that the amount of history information increases enormously when a line is inserted by way of edition followed by renumbering of the lines. It should be noted that such a renumbering process causes an extensive discrepancy between the pre-edit software and the post-edit software in terms of the lines, while such a discrepancy is not material in most of the cases.
Further, such conventional generation management process has a drawback in that meaningless history information is created in such a case that blank spaces are added to the description of a line. In such a case, it should be noted that the meaning of description of the line is not changed at all, while the history information recognizes that there occurred a substantial change of description.